Four Reasons to Choose Hospitality Management at CIA

There are other hospitality degree programs out there. So why choose to study Hospitality Management at CIA? What makes our program stand apart?

1. It’s the Most Food-Focused

Our Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality Management includes 24 credits in food and beverage. Why is that important?

Maybe you don’t want to spend your entire career in the kitchen, but you need firsthand knowledge of food, beverage, and service. By understanding what goes on in the professional kitchen and dining room, graduates with a CIA bachelor’s in Hospitality Management will be much better positioned to create first-rate customer experiences. And they’ll have a big advantage with employers when it comes time to hire.

“You’ll be working directly with culinary staff, and you may have to step in sometimes as well,” says Hospitality Management student Alessandra Sarria. “So it’s important to understand the back of the house.”

2. Experiential Learning

Hands-on, experiential learning isn’t limited to the food and beverage courses that CIA hospitality students take. They learn by doing in their Hospitality Management, liberal arts, and business courses, too. The curriculum also includes a paid, management-focused internship.

Why choose Hospitality Management at CIA? Because hands-on, experiential study is the absolute best way to learn.

3. Jobs

Top hospitality employers recruit CIA students and graduates. Two-hundred-plus jobs are posted every month on Culinary Connect, an online job site exclusively for CIA students and alumni.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, has been recruiting on the CIA campus for more than 20 years. “We are thrilled that CIA has a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management to complement its highly respected culinary curriculum and offerings,” says Kylie Hallinan, the company’s regional director of people and culture. “It’s reassuring to know we will find that same level of expertise when exploring candidates for a variety of hotel management positions.”

4. CIA’s Industry Connections

Another reason why you should choose Hospitality Management at CIA: because there’s simply no other college that’s as connected in the world of food and hospitality. And that means opportunities for our students like these:

• Guest lectures and events with hospitality leaders like Tony DiLucia ’87, general manager of the Hotel Jerome, and General Manager/COO Luke O’Boyle and Director of Culinary Ken Gladysz ’88 of the Chevy Chase Club.
• Scholarship and networking opportunities with leading companies like Hyatt Hotels.
• Hospitality field trips to businesses and venues like Baldor Specialty Foods, Restaurant Associates at Morgan Stanley, CxRA at Lincoln Center and the David H. Koch Theater, the New York Marriott Marquis, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Oftentimes, connections like these turn into something more. “When we went to the Marriott Marquis, one of the food and beverage managers we met was a CIA grad,” says Hospitality Management student Melissa Scalera. “I spoke with her afterwards, and she has become a kind of mentor to me.”

Learn more about how you can make hospitality career magic happen with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from the Culinary Institute of America.

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